Wednesday, January 30, 2013

"Handmade custom nail polishes for glitter addicts." I wouldn't claim to be a glitter addict, but I do have an attraction to sparkly things. After trying these polishes from Glitzology, I can assure you that these polishes will satisfy any level glitter craving. :)

A few weeks ago, I found out about a 50% off sale on Glitzology celebrating 500 likes. So, I decided to make my first ever Etsy purchase of handmade nail polishes.

Glitzology is an Etsy store run by Stacy Boyd, a professional nail technician located in Courtland, Ohio, USA. One of the many things I love about these polishes is that each one has a story or some sort of personal connection to the creator. For example, there's a bunch of Elvis-themed polishes. It's kind of like products with cute names and offers something more than just a great product. To add to that, these are 3-free.

My order was shipped out about a week after I placed my order. It was shipped out by US Postal Service and was at my doorstep a week later. As soon as these bad boys came in a pretty purple packaging, I got really excited. The polishes came with a lovely, typed-out thank you note explaining details on how to more effectively prepare my nails and remove the polish and a 20% off coupon code for my next purchase.

The three polishes I ordered were:

Crunch Berries

Guardian Angel

Nebula

I bought 3 different 5mL bottles of glitter polish for only $9 (shipping included) [with 50% off]. Regular sized [15mL], regular priced bottles are reasonably ticketed at $8.79 CAD [not including shipping]. The bottles all fit in the palm of my hand. They're quite small, but it's not really a problem because who finishes a full-sized bottle of polish any ways?

Crunch Berries. I believe this one is inspired by Captain Crunch cereal. At first glance, that's not what I thought of but the colours are definitely reminiscent of Captain Crunch. It includes several large-ish chunks of matte yellow hexagonal glitters, medium blue/yellow circle glitters, red square glitters, smaller blue and red dots and teensy gold-yellow particles suspended in a clear polish. This reminds me of a party and makes a crazy fun accent nail. In the photo, I'm wearing 3 coats.

Guardian Angel. This one is inspired by the maker's mother who passed away from breast cancer. It's a gorgeous gold shimmer with a variety of pink/silver chunks and pale pink heart-shaped glitters. It looks very pretty standalone and I think it would look beautiful over a light pink or pastel polish for an accent nail. I'm wearing 2 coats.

Nebula. I think I'll refer to this one asgalaxy nails for the lazy girl. If I were to sponge a little white/pink polish into Nebula, I think It'd look like one of those DIY-galaxy nails. It's silver glitter suspended in a black polish with some blue/purple/silver circle and square chunks. It's a little darker than the polishes I'm used to wearing for every day, but it's a nice step out of my neutral/pastel comfort zone. I'm wearing 2 coats.

Overall, the wear time on these polishes is typical of glitter polishes, way too long and annoying to remove. However, I think a unique looking sparkle is worth the intense scrubbing removal. Also like any other glitter polish, I would suggest layering a top coat over these polishes to smooth out your nails a bit.

I'm really happy with my first ever Etsy purchase. Glitzology polishes are products that I would definitely consider buying again. They're unique, cute, fun, and glam all at the same time.

Monday, January 28, 2013

This blush is the epitome of rosy glow. A matte deep rose. Originally, the blush had some shimmery veining, but it was only on the very top layer of the blush. I think it really is perfect for the winter because it adds so much KA-POW to dull skin. It also gives that "just came in from the cold" effect.

In terms of application, it takes a careful light hand. It's super pigmented, which is both a curse and a blessing. Too much of this blush, and it's easy to get the "clown" look. The lasting power of the blush is so-so. On top of bare, moisturised skin, it lasts 3 to 4 hours, likely longer over foundation and primer.

It actually doesn't come in pigment form. I cracked it and depotted it into an extra container I had.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

I've finally reached 200 awesome followers. Y'all are the best :). Not to mention, today is my 3 year anniversary with my boyfriend. Please enjoy an old picture of us at prom and let me know below if you'd like to see something like "the boyfriend tag" or nonsense like that.

Any ways, in honour of my lovely readers, valentines day, and love, I present you...

Saturday, January 26, 2013

My apologies for the looooong hiatus. I haven't really been replying to your comments, only reading others posts. There is really no excuse, but I've been away for the past week for work [woo hoo...]. Any ways, time to get back into the swing of things.

Here are the nails I wore for a good part of the week:

Nailtini Nail Lacquer in frappe

I got this in my January Ipsy Bag and decided to test its wear-time and overall performance.

Of course, it's yet another work appropriate polish perfect for my week-long work getaway. Simple and on the down low. I think it's very minimal but quite chic at the same time.

I built up the polish to 3-4 coats to get it to a good opacity. Given it's a nude, it's pretty goupy/thick and fairly sheer, but not streaky in the least bit. In terms of longevity, it's average (3 days, with top coat). I didn't bring remover while I was away, but this polish is so weird. It starts to bubble and then peel off. It probably isn't too good for my nails and a little gross, but I peeled off strips of polish from my nails.

I love how there's always something that matches with the colour of my polishes [see my lilac walls/nails]. Colour matching makes nails even more fun than they already are!

Look forward to more posts from me this week and maybe even a giveaway ;)

After I did the "runway" look, I added a few things that could make the look more appropriate for everyday wear. The difference is not massive because I felt like I wanted to keep the "integrity" of the look. Here's how I re-did it:

(1) Keep the eyes the same. I love the way a cat-eye looks.

(2) Set the makeup. I didn't set it in my original post, but setting it will make it last longer.

(3) Use less bronzer [or blend out the bronzer with the setting powder]. I think too much bronzer makes me look a bit... crazy.

(4) Instead of having a matte nude lip, a coloured or shimmery gloss gives the lips some shine and dimension.

Can you spot the differences? How do you adapt to crazy or weird runway trends?

Thursday, January 17, 2013

I recently haul-ed these goodies from a Costco in Georgia [USA]. I purchased the "Runway Ready" set for about $15. There was also another set with cooler tones available. The set contained 5 polishes of 12mL (0.4 fl oz.). The polishes are slightly smaller than their full size of 15mL (0.5 fl oz.) sold for $10 each at Ulta.

What is pop beauty? Originating in London, England, this company strives to be known for its "vibrant colours, innovative formulas and fool-proof makeup artists' tips and tricks, POP products are designed with the latest technology and high-quality raw materials."

Packaging. Standard glass bottle. I like the square shape, as it reminds me of Butter London polishes. The brush is not rounded and quite thin, comparable to Essie brushes.

Formula. The polishes are 3-free and not animal tested. On the thin side, which allows for layering. It takes about

Colour. Each colour is a little different. See descriptions of each colour below this section. Pop beauty has an amazing selection of fun colours. Check it out on their website

Longevity. Very long lasting. Resisted chipping for 4 days without a top coat. I'm not exactly careful about my nails, so this was pretty amazing for me.

Ease of Removal. Due to the thinner formula, removal is much easier than the likes of China Glaze polishes. With a simple nail polish remover, I didn't even have to scrub my nails to get the darkest colour off.

Italian Ice. A white-based light pink. This colour is opaque with 2-3 coats. Similar to other light polishes, it's slightly streaky, but it's easily fixed with a steady hand.

Pink Wink. A baby pink. This colour is really adorable and opaque with 3 coats. So cute!

Golden Shimmer. Self-explanatory. Pale gold, more silvery than yellow. This is really similar to China Glaze Midnight Kiss. Click here to see a swatch! I really like this colour and it's opaque with only 2 coats.

Mulberry Magic. I'd call this a purple toned ox-blood. My favourite of the bunch. Also the most opaque. Any lipstick of this colour is awesome too. Very on trend with this season. Opaque with 2 coats.

Molten Kisses. A dark brown. Personally, this looks like an off-black colour. It's not my style, but I'll have to test it out on my whole hand to see what it looks like. I'll likely save this one for nail art. It's opaque in 2-3 coats.

RANKING [favourite to least]:

Mulberry Magic

Golden Shimmer

Pink Wink

Italian Ice

Molten Kisses

Overall. I like these polishes. Some shades more than others. I really enjoy the formula, as it is very consistent across all colours. It's thin, yet pigmented, allowing for lots of coats without looking too thick. I'm definitely going to pick some more up of these gems the next time I go to the States or the UK!

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

I got a free subscription of Elle Canada through the last sample source box. I don't usually read magazines unless they are... just there... So, I decided to recreate DSQUARED2 look from the Beauty section. In a nutshell, this look is flawless skin, super bronzed cheeks, cat liner, and a dead-nude lip. Also, shoutout to Maggie of the Polka-dotted Jellyfish. I got this "re-creation" idea from her blog posts :)

Face. I started off by concealing my dark circles and blemishes with Erase Paste. Then, I used my fingers to apply foundation all over my face. Lastly, I added a lot of colour to my face by adding 3 layers of a matte bronzer. I basically swirled the brush into the bronzer then squished the bristles to create a more elongated shape to the brush. I think I could have put the bronzer a bit lower, I kind of put it on my cheeks instead of in the contour area.. [note: I don't recommend Forever 21 brushes] No need to set the face makeup, as I wasn't going to wear this look out any ways.

Eyes. Starting from the inner most corner of the eye, I outlined my upper lashline with the pencil liner. Then, I went over it with the liquid and created a cat-shaped liner. I probably could have gone a little further with the cat eye. Next, I lined my bottom lashline with pencil liner, being careful not to touch the waterline. Finally, I put a coat of mascara on my top and bottom lashes.

Lips. To be honest, I hate nude lips. I don't think it's at all flattering, but I did it for the sake of the look! I just rubbed a bunch of foundation on my lips. I had to exfoliate before doing this. After that, I ended up looking pretty dead. So, I added a teensy bit of balm stain on top.

Blogging has made me a bit vain. I've been taking way too many pictures of myself. So I present the many silly faces of Stephanie. Enjoy!

This post was a little lengthy, so I'll be writing a follow-up post,making the look a little more wearable.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Ipsy's Facebook page has several sneak peaks a couple weeks before they send out the bags. Some people don't like losing the "surprise" factor of a beauty box/bag, but I like it because (1) I know what to expect (2) If I like the previews, I get more excited.

I'd also like to say Kudos to Ipsy for sending the bags out early. I got the tracking code AND my package on the same day.

January has mostly non-makeup items. It was a very nice change. Here are my first impressions:

This month I actually like the bag. It's square-shaped and navy blue on the outside, with a more primary blue and starts on the outside. Very fitting for this month's "Super Stars" theme.

Pacifica Blood Orange Body Butter. The first thing I smelled when I opened the packaging. It was amazing. I've had a little exposure to Pacifica products. I own a perfume in the Hawaiian Ruby Guava scent which I never use, because I don't wear perfume. However, I do wear lotion/body butters.

Compared to something like The Body Shop, Pacifica's butter is much more thin and absorbent. The scent is just as strong, but it's not as thick feeling on the skin. I also loved the fact that it came with a closed lid. It just made everything seem so much more hygienic. Any ways, the scent and the moisture factor make this a must-use for me!

Soho Concealer Brush. I saw the brush preview and really wanted a blending brush for my collection, something that I don't have. I ended up getting a concealer brush. It's nice because it's smaller than the eco-tools concealer brush, however the bristles are not as soft. Since it's a brush, I'm bound to use this product. Also, it's advertised as "ergonomic", we'll see about that...

Josie Maran Argan Oil. I was really excited for this product. I'm sure most of you have heard about it... everywhere. **blog woes... I was taking pictures of it with the bottle opened and it spilled all over the place. So now I have less than half left. :( . Anyways, I tested out the product on my hair. It definitely doesn't make my hair look greasy and I like how it has a little dropper so you can control how much you use.

big sexy hairspray. I won't be using this product. I'll be giving it away or trading it sometime soon. Oddly enough, I love beauty products, but I really neglect styling my hair. I never use heat on my hair or anything like that, so this won't be of any use to me.

Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Frappe. Another product of which I expected something else [ a red polish ]. I don't have a red polish in my collection, but I don't have a good nude either. I'd describe the colour as a pink-toned sheer. After testing it out, I really like it! Typically, nudes and sheer polishes are super streaky, but the formula is not streaky at alland in the photo I only used two coats and I love the way it looks.

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